[SatNews] RSCC (the Russian Satellite Communication Company) and Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) now have an agreement whereby…
…Eutelsat will lease capacity for broadcasting and IP services on two RSCC satellites to be launched in 2013 and 2015. The contracts for Eutelsat’s two 15-year leases are valued at approximately 300 million euros. RSCC’s satellite expansion plans include two new programs: Express-АТ2 that will be launched to 140 degrees East in 2013, and Express-AMU1 that will be launched in 2015 to provide follow-on and expansion capacity for EUTELSAT 36A at the 36 degrees East position.
Express-АТ2 will more than double Ku-band capacity for satellite broadcasting at the key video neighborhood serving Russia’s Far East region. The satellite is already under construction by ISS Reshetnev using a payload designed by Thales Alenia Space.
Express-AMU1 will be a state-of-the-art high-capacity satellite with up to 70 transponders. It will provide coverage of the European part of the Russian Federation in Ku- and Ka-bands, and also ensure service continuity and growth for broadcast markets developed by Eutelsat in sub-Saharan Africa. The satellite will transform the broadcasting infrastructure at 36 degrees East into a broader system to support more television services and IP-based applications to match the development of Russia’s digital entertainment market. More than 11 million Direct-to-Home (DTH) antennas in Russia are already pointed at this leading video neighbourhood, subscribing to the premium NTV+ platform or to Tricolor, one of the world’s fastest-growing TV platforms. The new satellite’s manufacturer will be selected by the end of 2012 following an RFP. Eutelsat will commercialize the capacity under the name EUTELSAT 36C.
